Gas range



Oct 8, 1940 B,. E. MEACHAM ET AL 2,216,851

' GAS RANGE Filed oct. 2s, 193e s sheets-sheet 1 lullllll l Oct. 8, 1940. B. E. MEACHM ET A1. 2,215,851

GAS RANGE 3 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed OCT.. 23, 1956 Oct. 8, 194@ B. E. MEACHAM ET AL v2,216,851

GAS RANGE j Filed Oct. 23, 1956 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 cfg; '9\ 1- A@ Patented Oct. 8, 1940 GAS RANGE `Benjamin E. Meacham and William H. Frick, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to American Stove Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of NewVv Jersey l Application October 23', 1936; No. 107,286

(Cl. 12B-39) V 6 Claims.

The present invention relates toimprovement's.

in gas ranges and pertains more particularly and specifically to a solid or closed top gas ranges 1 such as are commonly referred to in the trade as heavy duty ranges and are used primarily by hotels, restaurants, hospitals or similar institutions where continuous and large volume cookl ing ordinarily takes place.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of a closed or solid top cooking range the cooking top of which can be uniformly heated throughout its entirel area.

Another and further object of the present invention is the provision of a solid or closed top cooking range constructed in a manner whereby,

if desired,.the cooking top can be utilized forYA fast, medium and slow cooking due to an arrangement which permits different areas of the cooking top to be heated at different temperatures. Each section however of the cooking top has a uniform temperature throughout its area so that uniform cooking can be obtained on any portion of the area of a cooking top section. y

Another and still further object of the invention is the provision of a closed or solid top cooking range having a novel or improved combustion chamber construction which includes a novel and improved arrangement of burners and baffles within the combustion chamber. i

A still further object of the invention is'the provision of a new and improved construction of top plate for a solid or closed top type of cooking range.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved arrangement for delivery of secondary air to the Bunsen burners of a solid or closed top type of cooking range.

Numerous other` objects and improved constructional featuresof the 4present invention will appear in more detail from the following description when .read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the present improved range.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the rang in vertical section. 1 I l Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof the cooking top of the range, a portionof the figure beingbroken away and shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the range, the view being taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is avvertical sectional view taken at right angles to FIS'. V4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec'- tional view showing a slight modification of the manner of feeding secondary air tothe burners.

Having reference now to the drawings, I indicates the front frame of a range which is substantially rectangular in configuration. Centrally arranged within the range frame and behind a door 2 is an oven A. A sliding drawer 3.

for the storage of utensils or the like, is positioned beneath the oven and at each side of the oven and drawer and behind suitabie panels l and 5 are side compartments B. 'Ihe oven and the side compartments terminate short of the top of the range frame and upon them and behind a suitable front panel 6 are arranged a plurality of combustion chambers C, D, and E which are closed at their upper endsby suitable cooking top plates F, G and H respectively which are all supported in the same horizontal plane to provide a smooth cooking top. These top plates extend entirely throughout the width of the range but stop short of the front and rear of A the range. -At its front edge the range has a top front frame member K while at itsrear the range has a rear top frame member L. The upper surfaces of the frame members K and L are in horizontal alignment with the cooking top plates so that the entire upper surface of the range is smooth and flat to present an even surface over which utensils may be readily moved at will.

Adjacent therear edge of the rear top frame member L a splash back M is provided and behind this splash back are a plurality of vertically disposed lues l, 8, 9, and I0' all of which at their upper ends converge into a single flue II which has an outlet I2 above and behind the rear top edge of the splash back. A high shelf is indicated at I3 to form a storage space N well above the cooking top plates. If desired this space N'could warming oven.

'I'he oven top is designated at I4 and is supported at its rear end upon the range backl wall I5, at its side edges upon the range side or end walls I6 and I1 and at its front edge upon a suitable angle iron bracket I8.

A manifold chamber P is disposed beneath the i entire widths of all of the combustion chambers C, D and E. The heretofore mentioned front panel 6 constitutes'the front wall of this chamber and the rear wall of the chamber is in the form of an insulated rear plate I9 which traverses the entire width of the range in spaced parallel relationship to the front panel 6. Within thisv chamber is the main gas supply manifold 20 for supplying gas to the mixing bells 2| of the several burners a, b, c, d. e, and f.

One side wall of the combustion chamber C is the insulated outer end wall 22 of the range while its other side wall is a vertical partition 23 the lower end of which is supported as at 24 upon the oven top while its other end terminates short of the cooking top plates and bears an L-shaped angle iron 25. The-aforementioned vertical partition plate 23 together with a similar plate 23'L arranged in spaced parallel relationship constitute the side walls of the center combustion charnber D. The combustion chamber' E has as its side walls the plate 23a and the other end wall 22* of the range. The side walls 22 and 22EL carry on their upper ends L-shaped angle bars 26.

At its inner rear edge the top frame member K has a depending portion 21 terminating in a horizontally disposed flange 28 while the front or inner edge of the rear top frame member L has a depending portion 29 provided with a forwardly and inwardly horizontal flange 30. By reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the top plates F, G and H on their under sides and at their peripheral edges are vprovided with downwardly extending lugs 3| which engage the angle bars 25 and 26 and the anges 28 and' 30 to support the top plates in proper operative relationship to the range and to each other.

From the construction thus far described it wil be seen that the combustion chambers C, D and E are independent of one another insofar as communication is concerned and that they extend from the rear Wall I9 of the manifold chamber in parallel relationship towards the rear end of the range and are of a combined width equal to the width of the range top. At their rear ends these combustion chambers are closed by a rear wall 32. The vertical division plates 23 and 23 extend rearwardly past the rear wall of the combustion chambers to provide at the rear of the range and beneath the rear top frame member L a plurality of flue boxes R, S and T. These ilue boxes communicate in turn with their respective vertical ilues 1, 8 and I0 for the purpose of discharging through the outlet I2.

An outlet iiue box V has communication with the oven A as at 35. This flue box communicates with the vertical flue 9 which passes upwardly -centrally through the aforementioned flue 8 as clearly appears in dotted lines on Fig. l of the drawings.

Each of the burners a to f inclusive is similarly constructed. These burners are straight elongated tubular burners and on the opposite edges of their tops are drilled with burner orifices 36 which are disposed at an angle to the vertical so that the burners will burn divergently extending tongues of ame. Each combustion chamber is provided with two burners which in respect to one another are arranged in separated parallel relation. These burners extend from the front towards the rear of the range and each of them is disposed within a housing having an open upper end.

Each combustion chamber has a bottom plate 31 which is arranged above and in separated parallel relationship to the top I4 of the oven to provide beneath the combustion chamber bottoms conduits X, Y and Z. Describing the combustion chamber C which will also describe all of 5 the other combustion chambers as they are identical in constructionL it will be seen that at each side of the burner a there are upwardly extending vertically disposed baille walls 36 and 39 the lower ends of which are supported as at 40 and l0 4I upon the combustion chamber bottom 31 while their upper ends extend well above the burner and terminate short of the under side of the cooking top plate F. Similar baille walls 42 and 43 are provided for the burner b. These verti- 15 cally disposed baffle plates extend from the rear wall I9 of the manifold housing back to the rear wall 32 of the combustion chamber and therefore in a sense divide the combustion chamber up into a plurality oi' channelways. One of the channel- 20 ways is designated at 44 and lies between the outer end wall 22 of the range and the baille plate 39. The second channelway 44l lies between the baille plates 38 and 39 and the burner a is positionedwithin this channelway. A second 26 channelway 46 lies between the baille plates 33 and 43 while the burner b is in the next'channelway 46 which lies between the baille plates 42 and 43. The last channelway 41 is similar to the aforementioned channelway 44 and lies between 30 the baille plate 42 and the vertically disposed division wall 23 which separates the combustion chamber C from the combustion chamber D.

The bottoms of the channelways 44, 45 and 41 which lle at each side of the burners are lined 35 with lire brick 43 or other suitable like material. These brick lined channelways at their rear ends ,communicate with the ilue box R through suitable openings 49, 50 and 6I provided in the rear wall 32 of the combustion chamber.

It will be understood that all of the burners are Bunsen burners and that to obtain the proper combustion it i-s necessary to furnish secondary air to the burners. In vthe preferred form of the invention secondary air is admitted into the manifold housing P through an opening 52 pro vided in its front panel 6. This is the opening through which the stem 53 of the valve operating handle 64 extends. Incidentally the supply of gas to both of the burners a and b is under the l0 control of this single valve so as to assure uniform flame at the burners and uniform heat delivery by the burners. The secondary air which enters the manifold chamber P can enter each of the channelways 44 and 46 within which the burners are positioned through the openings 66 through which the mixing bells 2| of the burners extend, Secondary air admitted at this point is supplied both above and below the burner. Secondary air can also pass from the manifold 0 chamber P into the conduit X through openings 56 provided in the front wall of said conduit. Additional secondary air reaches the conduit X from the side chambers B through suitable openings 51 provided in 4their tops. All of the secondary 66 air carried by the conduit X is delivered to the under side of the burners at spaced points throughout their lengths through suitable openings 58 provided in the top wall of the conduit.

The secondary air delivered to the burners 7 from the conduit X enters the channelways 44 and 46 beneath the burners. Part of this air is delivered directly to the burner stools or tothe flames themselves while a portion of it is delivered to the combustion chamber at a point above 75 the burners. This is accomplished by baille plates 4|00 and Illl which are disposed at each side of each Vburner and extend upwardly and inwardly extending fins 6I which are in separated parallel I relationship to the side of the burners and extend throughout the length of the burners.

Part of the secondary air within the channel beneath the burners will pass upwardly between the iins and the burners and through the spaces provided between -thelugs' il and lthus directly pass the base of the flames burned at the burner orifices. Additional secondary air will pass up on the other side of the fins and intothe combustion ,i chamber above the burner through suitable openings 62 provided in spaced relationship periodiv cally throughout the lengths of the upwardly and inwardly inclined portions of the air baflles |00 and illll. l

Fig. 7 illustrates a slightly modified form of `the invention in that a series of openings 64 are provided in the rear wall 32, for delivering secondary air into the rear ends of those channelways within which the burners are positioned. This modification merely permits the provision of an additional amountV of secondary air to that which is provided in the preferred form of the invention.

Describing the cooking top plate F, it will be seen that immediately above the burners a and b it is thickened as indicated at 65 and that from these thickened portions ittapers in both directions so that immediately above the side channelways 44 and 41 and the central channelway 45 the top plate is comparatively thin, as indicated at 66, 61 and 69. This plate at the under side of its marginal edges is provided with downwardly extending fins 69 and 10 which extend throughout the length ofthe plate and a fin 1I extends throughout the length of its center portion and extends well down into the central channelway 45 to terminate at a point'below the upper ends of the channelway walls 38 and 43. In addition to the longitudinally extending fins 69, 10 and 1I the under side of the cooking top hasja longitudinally extending fin 12 positioned centrally above the burner a and a longitudinally extending fin 13 above the burner b. 'Ihese fins are comparatively shallow and do not extend downwardly into the combustion chamber very far as their lower edges terminate -slightly above the upper edges of the vertical baffles at the sides of each of the burners.

'I'he under side of the cooking top plates are also provided with transversely extending fins 4which are arranged in separatedk spaced parallel relationship andare designated at 14. 'I'hese fins intersect the longitudinal fins 12 and 13 and are of a length equal to the distance between the vertical baffles at the sides of the burners. 'I'hese fins are comparatively shallow and do not extend very far downwardly into the combustion chamber with the exception of the first iin `15 at the lforward edge of the plate and the rear fin 16 at the rear edge of the plate. The fins 15 and 16 extend completely across the width of the combustion chamber and are of' a depth similar to the depth of the longitudinally extending tins 68.*'

to forman obstruction to lthe passage of the products of combustion outwardly through the opening 50 into the flue box for discharge.

From -the foregoing description it will be seen that in respect to each combustion chamber that thecooking top immediately above the burners and at the point where the burner iiame willimpinge, is thickened and'that it then tapers away with the result that the taper assists in directing the flames and the hot products of combustion under and against the remaining portions of th'e cooking top and particularly those portions of the cooking top which are thinner and more remote to the burners. By thickening the tops at the point of flame impingement over-heating of4 the tops in a concentrated area above the burners is prevented while the inclination of the-'under side of `the tops assists in preventing local overheating by causing heat and names to move rapidly to those portions of the cooking top lying at each side of the burner. This rapid movement of the heat and flames away from the burners smothered.

'I'he fins 12 and 13 immediately abo've the burners-serve a double function in that they are strengthening ribs to prevent the cooking tops from4 warping and in that they act as division plates for causing the iiames of each burner to be divided and the heat from them directed to that portion of the cooking top lying to each side of the burner.

The draft in each combustion* chamber is of course from the front towards the rear in that each of the combustion chambers discharge at their rear ends into a iiue box which is in turn connected to the main range outlet iiue. The

vcross ribs or fins 14 in addition to strengthening the cooking tops act as heat absorption fins and most important of all tend to denitely direct the hot products of combustion into the channelways at each side of each of the burners so that these hot gases will travel rearwardly under the thinner portions of the cooking top plates to discharge. The thinner portions of the cooking top plates are the portions which are remote to the burners -and by causing the major portion of the hot gases to travel beneath them it has been found that this fact taken together with the thickened portions of the cooking top plates immediately above the burners an even temperature can be obtained throughout the entire area of the cooking plate above each combustion chamber. :This is a decided improvement and advantage and something which it has not been possible to obtain in solid important manner by serving as a division plate between the two burners of each combustion chamber to assure that the flames which lick or reach outwardly from these burners remain separate and do not intermingle until the burning gases are well downwardly within the channelways which lie between the adjacent vertical bailies 38 and 43.

The vertical baiile plates 3 8. 30, 42 and provided in each combustion chamber are important in that first they act as guides for directing the impingement of the burner flames against the thickened portions of the cooking top plates and in directing upwardly against this portion of the cooking top plates the heat generated at the burners. They also perform the important function of preventing burning gases from possibly reaching or striking back at the burners themselves so as to prevent any possibility of the flames being smothered. In other words, these baille plates taken together with the described means of providing secondary air assure burner emciency.

It will be recognized that each pair of burner arms in each combustion chamber can be operated independently. A single gas valve controls the supply of gas to the burners in each individual combustion chamber which assures a uniform name and a uniform heat in each burner arm. When all of the gas Valves are set in a similar manner a uniform temperature will be obtained throughout the entire area of the range top.

By varying the settings of the gas valves diierent cooking temperatures can be obtained on the lndividual plates F, G and H, but on each plate the temperature will be uniform throughout its entire area. It is due largely to the fact that the individual combustion chambers can be individually operated that individual outlets for them are provided. Individual nues will provide better operation but are not necessarily essential and a single flue for all of the combustion chambers could be substituted were it desired.

From the foregoing it will be understood that a greatly improved range is provided in that on a single range three different cooking temperatures can be obtained if desired or a positive uniform temperature obtained throughout the entire area of the cooking top. It is essential to obtain the best cooking results that the cooking top does not have hot spots, and in the present range hot spots are obviated and a uniform temperature is obtained from edge lto edge of the range cooking top. In actual practice it has been found that an even heat or a uniform heat is obtained everywhere on the top plate and that it has been possible to acquire a top plate temperature as high as 1050 F. with that temperature evenly and uniformly distributed on the cooking surface.

We claim:

1. In a range, a solid cooking top, a plurality of independent combustion chambers therebeneath, each combustion chamber being provided with a plurality of vertically extending baille plates disposed in parallelism and dividing said combus tion chamber into a plurality of parallel channelways, a Bunsen burner composed of a pair of elongated burner arms, a flue at the rear of the range, communication only between said flue and alternate channelways, the other channelways constituting burner` housings for said elongated burners, a secondary air conduit beneath each combustion chamber, means to admit air to said conduits, and means to admit air from said conduits into said burner housing channelways at a point beneath the burners.

v2. In a range, a solid cooking top, a plurality of combustion chambers therebeneath, each combustion chamber being provided with a plurality of baille plates disposed in parallelism and extending vertically from the bottom of said combustion chamber and dividing said combustion chamber into a plurality of parallel channelways, an outlet flue at the rear of the range, outlet openings in the rear of said combustion chamber providing communication between the outlet flue and the rear ends of alternate channelways only in each combustion chamber, an elongated burner arm positioned in each of the other combustion chamber channelways, and communication between the channelways carrying the burners and the channelways at either side thereof.

3. In a range, a solid cooking top, a combustion chamberv therebeneath, an elongated burner extending substantially entirely across said combustion chamber. a housing for said burner having an open upper end, a channelway at 'each side of said burner housing, a iiue outlet having communication only with the rear end of each of said channelways, a secondary air conduit for admitting secondary air into said burner housing at a point beneath the burner, bailles in said burner housing for directing a portion of the secondary air directly to the ames burned at said burner and directing a portion of the air. around said burner and into said burner housing at a point above the burner and said burner housing adapted to direct the burner flames against the under side of the cooking top and to prevent the flames from striking back at the burner.

4. In a range, a burner chamber having side, front and rear and bottom walls and provided with a solid cooking top, a plurality of baille plates disposed in parallel relationship and extending from the bottom wall of said chamber vertically and terminating short of the under side of said solid cooking top to form a plurality of parallel channelways, a flue box beyond the rear wall of said chamber, outlet openings in said chamber rear wall into alternate channelways, an elongated burner arm positioned in each of the other channelways which have no communicating opening with the flue box, communication between those channelways carrying the burners and the other channelways over the tops of said baffle plates, a secondary air conduit extending completely under the entire chamber bottom and provided with openings admitting secondary air into those channelways, carrying burners at a point below said burners, baiiles extending from each of said burners to the vertical baflies forming the walls of the burner channelways, each of said baiiles permitting secondary air to pass directly to the burner ports of said burners and directing a portion of the secondary air past the burners and into channelways at a point above the burner orifices, and means at the under side of the cooking top for directing the hot products of combustion generated by the burners into the channelways lying at each side thereof.

5. In a range, a main combustion chamber having a solid cooking top and side rear front and bottom walls, a plurality of division plates extending from the bottom of said chamber to the solid top thereof and dividing said chamber into a plurality of supplemental independent non-communicating combustion chambers, a pair ofy elongated burners within each burner chamber extending from the front towards the rear thereof in separated parallel relationship; vertically extending baille plates at each side of each of said burners extending from the bottom of the combustion chambers to a point short of the solid top thereof and from the front wall of the combustion chambers to the rear walls thereof to form a housing having an open top for' each burner, said vertically extending baille plates forming a channelway at one sideof and intermediate each of said burners, a flue outlet beyond the rear wall of said combustion chambers, a secondary air conduit for admitting air into each burner housing at a point beneath the burners therein, battles in said burner housings for directing a portion of the secondary air up each side of each burner and directly to the flames burned at said burners and directing a portion of the secondary air around each side of each burner and into said burner housings at a point above'said burners, said cooking top immediately above said burner housings being thickened and constructed to direct products of combustion of the burners .into the channelways at either side of the burners, and communication between the channelways and the ue at the rear of the range for creating a rearwardly moving draft in the channelways to assist in moving the products of combustion from the burners into the channelways and under and against the thinner portions of the cooking top lying above the channelways.

6. In a range, a burnerchamber having side,

front, rear and bottom walls and provided with a solid cooking top, a plurality of balile plates disposed in parallel relationship and extending from the bottom Wall of said chamber vertically andterminati'ng short of the under side of said cooking top to form a plurality of parallel channelways, anoutlet flue at the rear of said chamber and having communication with alternate channelways only of said chamber, an elongated burner positioned in each of the other channelways of said chamber, communication between those channelways carrying burners and the' other channelways over the tops of said baille plates, a secondary air conduit for admitting air into those channelways carrying burners atl a point below said burners; baiiles extending from each of said burners yto the vertical baffles form-` of combustion generated by the burners intovthe i channelways lying at each side thereof.

BENJAMIN E. 'WILLIAM H. FRICK. 

